Rotary duplicator



Sept 4, 1934 c. N. JOHNSON ROTARY DUPLICATOR 5 shees-sheet 1 Filed Feb.l1, 1932 A f Cliffrd JV. Jhnon.

Sept. 4, 1934.

C. N. JOHNSON ROTARY DUPLICA'TOR Filed Feb. ll. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet' 2*lnc/@vf' Clifford Nlvmon Sept 4,1934- c. N. JOHNSON 1,972,421

ROTARY DUPLICATOR Filed Feb. ll. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 InUen-r CliffordJhrwon.

Sept- .4, 1934- c. N. JOHNSON ROTARY DUPLICATOR Filed Feb. l1. 1932 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept- 4, 1934- c. N; JOHNSON 1,972,421

I ROTARY DUPLIGATOR File@ Feb. l1. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Sept.4, 1934 1,912,421 normar nurucs'ron Clifford N. Johnson, Chicagol Ill.,assignor to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of WestVirginia Application February 11, 1932, Serial No. 592,242

4 Claims. (Cl. 10i-132) The invention relates to rotary duplicators andparticularly to a rotary duplicator having a rotating drum provided witha duplicating surface for receiving an impression from a master sheetand for imparting the same to blank sheets subsequently impressed on thesurface.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a rotary type ofduplicator with feeding means functioning to contact a top sheet of thepaper stock supported thereon with the duplicating surface on thedrum,the sheet adhering to the surface whereby rotations of the drum separatethe top sheet from the remaining. sheets and presents the same to animpression roller.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a movable papertray having operative connection with a cam on the rotating drum bymeans of which an end of the tray adjacent thereto is caused tooscillate in timed relation with the rotations of the drum, theoscillations contacting the marginal edge of the top sheet of the stockon the tray with the leading edge of the duplicating surface for thepurpose of adhering the sheet to the surface.

A further object resides in the provision of an impression rollerpivotally mounted in the frames of the machine and being resilientlyurged into contact with the duplicating surface, the constructionmaintaining uniform the pressure exerted upon the surface by the roller.

A further object is to provide novel stripping mechanism including apair of stripping rollers and a co-operating member oscillating in timedrelation with the rotations of the drum to direct the leading edge ofthe impressed sheet between said rollers. y

A further object is to provide means actuated by the drum foroscillating the co-operating member, which will be simple inconstruction and positive in operation.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consistof certain novel features of construction and 'operation as will be morefully described and particularly pointed out -Figure 2 is a top planview, parts of tliecylinderv being broken away toshow the tighteningmeans for the gelatin band in the specication, drawings and claims' ap-VFigure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially through thecenter of the cylinder with the parts in position as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken sub-- stantially on theplane indicated by the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the positionof the parts in advance of directing the leading edge of the impressedsheet between the stripping rollers, and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the positionof the parts at the-end of a duplicating operation.

The machine is mounted Within spaced frame members 10 and 11, Figures 2and 3, held in spaced relation by means of an upper tie rod 12, asupporting member 13 extending from frame to frame at substantially thecentral portions and being secured thereto by fastening screws 14 and bymeans of a hollow base member indicated in its entirety by 16 upon whichthe frames are suitably supported. 'I'he base includes a top platemember 17, a bottom plate member`18 and side members 19 and an endmember 20, respectively, the other end member 21v having a handle 22secured thereto and projecting from one face of the same, and areceptacle 23 projectingfrom the other face, the latter being receivedWithin the hollow base and riding upon baseangle plates 24. Upper angleplates 25 form guides serving to correctly position the receptaclewithin the base. The structure provides an enclosed container forstoring a supply of duplicating bands and spare parts for repairpurposes.

The frame member 10 journals a crank arm 26 provided with handle 27 andhaving a pinion 28, Figure 4, for meshing with means to be subsequentlydescribed for the purpose of imparting rotary movement to the cylinder.

The frame forms a support for a plurality of paper trays one beingpositioned below the printing cylinder for supporting the work sheets tobe duplicated and the other being positioned to the side of the cylinderfor receiving the duplicated sheets. The paper supporting tray 30 ispivotally mounted in the frames 10 and 11 by means of a yokemember 31having its arms pivotally secured to the frames by pivot pins 32. Thetray is provided withupstanding side flanges 33 terminating short of theupper end of the tray and with an adjustable rear flange 34 adjustablypositioned through actuation of the set screw 35. Also supported fromthe spaced frame members is a receiving tray 86 having marginal flanges37 and being pivotally secured to the frames at its inner end by meansof a supporting yoke 38 and securing members 39. The pivotalconstruction permits the tray to be dropped to assume inoperativeposition, the arms 40 pivotally secured to the tray at an intermediatepoint serving to releasably maintain the tray in an elevated oroperative position. For the purpose the arms are provided at their lowerends with a notch 41 having engagement with set screws 42 located in therespective frame members.

Referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 the duplicating cylinderis shown as comprising spaced end members 44 and 45 provided withinwardly directed peripheral anges 46 and being mounted in spacedrelation adjacent the respective frame members on a transverse operatingshaft 47 suitably journaled in the members. A left hand hub member 48 ismounted on shaft 47 and provides securing bolts 49 by means oi which theend member 45, the gear 50 and the cam 51 is. secured to the hub andthus to the shaft. As the diameter of the gear 50 is substantially thesame as that of the end member additional securing means are provided inbolts 52 which also hold the cam 51 in position spaced a slight distancefrom the gear. Similar strucion 28 forming part of the manual operatingmeans. By the above it will be clearly seen that the end members forminga part ofthe duplicating surface to be more particularly described are fmounted for rotation within the frame members, the rotation' beingimparted manually by rotating pinion 28 through actuation of the crankhandle 26. The invention contemplates an alternative structure whereinthe shaft 47 is ilxedly mounted within the frame members and the hubs 48and 53 are rotatably mounted thereon. y

The cylinder is completed by associating with the end members an arcuateplaten 58 suitably .secured atlits ends to the marginal flanges 46 andextending for substantially half the circumference of the cylinderproviding the printing surface of the same. with inwardly bent terminalportions 59, one of which has securedthereto a plurality of spaced pins60 serving to detachably secure to the portionv59 one end of a. gelatinband 61 which is stretched over and supported on the surface of theplaten to form a duplicating surface, the other end being detachablysecured to shaft 62 provided with projecting pins l63 and beingjournaledin the respective end members 44 and 45. In order to hold the band instretched position on the platen shaft 62 is provided with a ratchetwheel 64 adapted tovhave engagement with the locking pawl 65 pivoted tothe end member 44 and having an outwardly projecting stud 68 secured toits other end and extending through the arcuate slot 67. To the rightend of shaft 62 is secured 'a knurled operating wheel 68 providingaccessible means for the operator so thatthe shaft can be rotated forreleasing the gelatin band or for'stretching the band over the platen 48in which case the shaft 1s held in position by the locking pawl 65,.

.A feature of the invention is the particular mounting and actuation ofthe paper supporting plate 30 which is operated in a manner to contactthe top sheet of the stock on the tray with the gelatin band 61 toinitiate the duplicating opera- The platen 58 is formed tion. Pivotallysecured by means of the stud 70 to the side frame l1 is an actuatinglever 71 having a roller 72 suitably secured to its upper end forengaging with the cam 51 and having a forwardly extending arm 73integral therewith at its lower end for pivotal connection at 74 to anarm ofthe yoke 31. It will be noted that the lever 71 has connectionwith the supporting means for the tray at a point below and immediatelyadjacent the pivoting studs for the tray and as these are positionedbelow the center of the same ra small movement of lever 71 will resultin materially greater movement of the upper end of the tray adjacent therotating cylinder. For adhering the work sheets to the gelatin band 61all that is necessary is to cause engagement between the sheet and theband, the same being only momentary, since the adherent natureof theband is suilicient to readily cause the sheet to adhere thereto. Foractuating the tray to accomplish the above the cam 51 has asubstantially cylindrical periphery with the exception of a dip 75, thesame having a position on the cam relative to the leading edge of thegelatin band such as to oscillate or rock the tray through actuation ofleverp'll at that point in the rotation of the cylinder to contact theupper marginal edge of the sheet with the leading portion of theduplicating surface.

Since the ltray is in position as shown in Figure 4 to contact the sheetwith the gelatin band for a relatively short interval of time it will beunderl `stood that the oscillating movement imparted to the tray must berelatively rapid. No interference to the `rotation of thecylinderresults and the feeding operation is of a character to presentthe sheet to the duplicating `surface so that the leading marginal edgeof the sheet overlaps the secured end of the gelatin band for purposeswhich will be clearly understood when the stripping mechanism isdescribed.

Having contact with the duplicating band carlried bythe cylinder is animpression roller 76 mounted on a transverse shaft 77 suitablyjournalled in supporting arms 78. .The arms are pivoted to therespective frame members by studs 80 and have secured to their rear endsthe coil springs 81 depending from the studs :i2-projecting from theframes. By pivoting the arms'supporting the impression roller the sameismounted for movement vwith respect to the cylinder and as the coilspring 81 yieldingly'forces the same into con-- tact with the gelatinband the same operates to impress-the fed sheet upon the surface of theband, maintaining uniform the pressure exerted thereon. For strippingthe duplicated sheet from the surface of the gelatin band apair ofstripping -yieldingly urged into'contact therewith.l Gear 50 as shown inFigures 1 and 2 hasmesh'ing engagement with pinion 93 mounted on stud 94secured `to the side frame 11, the pinion in turn meshing with pinion 95mounted on shaft 88. The roller 84 is therefore driven by the rotatingcylinder and roller 85 is likewise 'driven from the cylinder lince thesame contacts roller 84. The stripping rollers have rotation in thatdirection to strip the duplicated sheet from the surface and feed thesame to the receiving tray 36.

The invention contemplates novel means for positively presenting to therollers theleading edge of the duplicated sheet. Pivotally mounted inthe frame member 10 by means of stud 92 is an arm 96 to which issuitably secured one end of a yoke member 98, the same extendingparallel to and being adapted to co-operate with the stripping rollers84 and 85.l The other end of the member is suitably secured to arm 100pivotally mounted in frame member 11 by stud 92. Arm 100 is considerablylonger than arm 96 and is provided on its projecting end with roller 101for co-operating with the cam members 102 and 103 suitably secured tothe coil spring 105, each spring being in turn secured to stud 106projecting from each frame member of the machine.

For operating the rotary duplicator constructedv as above describedpaper stock of the required length is placed in the tray and by rotationof the crank handle 26 rotary movement is imparted to the cylinder whilethe tray 30 pivotally mounted in the frame members of the machine isoscillated in timed relation therewith to contact the top sheet of thepaper stock with the leading edge of the duplicating surface. Theactuation of the tray is so timed as to cause the sheet to adhere to thesurface, the registration of the same thereon providing a projecting endwhich facilitates in the stripping of the duplicated sheet. Continuedrotation of the cylinder serves to .locate the fed sheet between thesurface and the impression roller 76, whereupon the sheet is impressedupon the duplicated surface to perform the duplicating operation. Atthis point in the rotation of the cylinder the roller 101 on arm 100 isengaged by cam member 102, further rotation actuating the arm and thusthe member 98 to locate the same in its lowermost position where themember is spaced a considerable distance from the stripping rollers'such as shown in Figure 5.

ItA will be observed that the member 98 is positioned to the right ofthe projecting end of the duplicated sheet and upon further rotation ofthe cylinder it will be seen that the projecting end of the sheet andthe member 98 travel upwardly at substantially the'ame rate, the membermoving out of the path of the terminal portion 59 of the platen 58 andtoward the end of the sheet. The direction of movement taken by themember 98 is dermined by the particular position of the pivot points 92which by their relation with respect to the stripping rollers cause themember to engage the projecting end of the duplicated sheet and locatethe same between the rollers.

The stripping rollers are continuously rotated and it is only necessarythat the leading edge of the sheet be inserted therebetween, whereuponthe rollers areoperative to strip the sheet from the duplicating surfaceand feed the same to the receiving tray 36 as will be clear fromaninspection of Figure 6. l

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exactembodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustrationand not limitation, as various and other forms of the device will ofcourse be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A rotary duplicator including frame members journaling a duplicatingcylinder, a paper tray pivotally mounted in the frame members and havingoperative connection with means provided on the cylinder, said traybeing positioned diagonally in the frame members with its upper endbelow and adjacent to the cylinder, thetray supporting work sheets to beduplicated with their upper ends adjacent the cylinder, wherebyactuation of the tray by rotation of the cylinder will contact the upperend of the top sheet with the duplicating surface.

2. A rotary duplicator, in combination, frame members journaling acylinder, a printing surface on the cylinder, an impression roller, apivotally mounted paper tray operating to feed sheets supported thereonto the surface, the feeding operation adhering the sheet in registeredposition on the surface with its leading end projecting therefrom, apair of rotating stripping rollers, a pivotally mounted bar normallypositioned adjacent the rollers, and means for oscillating the bar tolocate the same a distance from the rollers and in the path of theleading edge of the printing surface, said bar being operative uponreturn movement toward the rollers to direct the projecting end of thesheet between the rollers.

3. A rotary duplicator comprising a frame; a platen mounted on an opensided cylinder journaled in said frame, said platen being provided witha duplicating surface; means for feeding a paper sheet into contact withsaidduplicating surface; an impression roller mounted for yieldingengagement with said duplicating surface so as to impress the sheetthereon; a pair of stripping rollers mounted beyond the impressionroller; and guide-means mounted on said frame and adapted to move intothe open side of said cylinder and direct the advanced end of said sheetinto contact with said stripping rollers, said guidemeans having acam-arm engaging a cam provided on the end of said cylinder.

4. Mechanism as specified in claim 3, in which one of the strippingrollers is provided with a gear which meshes with an idler gear drivenby -the cylinder and the other stripping roller is journaled in aswinging bracket so as to be yieldingly urged towards the driven roller.

CLIFFORD N. JOHNSON.

